Pressing the “CANCEL” Button Twice Will NOT Prevent ATM thefts? Find Out the Facts...
With the advancement of digital technology, the banking sector has also moved away from the traditional method, with most customers resorting to ATMs to withdraw cash. This is our investigation of misleading social media posts which claim that there is a system in place in which you enter the cancel button twice before inserting your card into the ATM.
Social Media Posts
The posts below can be seen on Facebook and spread via WhatsApp too. These suggest that entering the "CANCEL" button twice is a preventive action to avoid possible ATM scams.
Below is a WhatsApp forward doing rounds in Sri Lanka on the same narrative.
Fact Check
We first checked this claim in mainstream media, including reputed websites related to cyber security. However, we could not find any such method being adopted.
We inquired Mr. Channa de Silva, the CEO of LankaClear, the largest payments infrastructure provider in Sri Lanka. He mentioned that such a procedure is not being used in any country, as mentioned in the viral posts. Therefore, the best action to take when an ATM theft has occurred in Sri Lanka would be to inform the Police at the earliest.
Mr. Channa added that LankaClear had received many complaints about people being tricked by fraudsters near ATMs and reiterated that the public should be more vigilant and should avoid giving their ATM card or PIN to any unknown person roaming near ATMs.
Many such fraudsters often operate, pretending to be bank employees and asking for PINs to verify the issue with the ATM card. Unfortunately, those who are not used to ATM transactions and elderly folks tend to give such details, which should be avoided at any cost, added Mr. Channa De Silva.
Cyber Security expert Asela Waidyalankara also stated that such a method of pressing the "CANCEL" button twice is not a way to ensure that ATM thefts would not happen. People are also advised not to write their ATM PINs on paper or cards.
The same message was shared in India. Also, several times, attributed to the Reserve Bank of India, which has been refuted by the Government of India, as seen here.
The claim of pressing the "CANCEL" button twice before any ATM transaction has gone viral worldwide. During an investigation, Politifact contacted Dr. Vassil Roussev, a professor of Computer Science at the University of New Orleans.
He states that "There are relatively simple electronic devices made by different criminal groups that get reproduced and sold, and there's a fairly large number of them, so it is possible that some very simple ones could be disturbed by something like this" Dr. Roussev said, "but it should not, in any way, be taken as a safety precaution. It won't hurt you, but I would place zero value on this type of advice." Full story here
ATM Skimmers:
There are more advanced techniques being used by criminals as well. For example, a "skimmer" is mounted to the front of the normal ATM card slot, reads the ATM card number, and transmits wirelessly to the criminals sitting in a nearby vehicle. Also, the wireless camera is disguised to look like a leaflet holder mounted in a position to view ATM PIN entries. Thieves then use these PIN details and copy ATM card information to withdraw considerable amounts in a very short time directly from the bank ATM.
Hence it is an excellent practice to be vigilant near ATMs to notice anything suspicious as the 'skimming' devices usually sitck out a few extra inches compared to a normal ATM machine. Also, cover the ATM keypad while entering the PIN, using secure ATMs and if an ATM holds your card, inform the bank immediately. More on these safety measures here
Below are some safety tips to help guard against crimes related to ATMs.
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Conclusion
According to our investigation, we found out that pressing the "CANCEL" button two times before entering a credit/debit card does NOT prevent ATM thefts from happening. So, the viral social media claims are false and misleading.
Title:Pressing the “cancel” button twice to prevent ATM thefts?.... Find Out the Facts
Fact Check By: Kalana Krishantha
Result: False
